Rumour: Rupert Wyatt to direct Star Trek 3?

Jon M. Chu also linked

Despite J.J. Abrams having yet to rule himself out of directing Star Trek 3 , rumours are beginning to circulate as to who his successor might be on the upcoming sequel.

With Abrams' schedule likely to be dominated by Star Wars: Episode VII for the forseeable future, a change at the helm of the Enterprise seems likely, with a couple of new names being linked to the position.

Jon M. Chu was one of those names being bandied around, although his representatives have contacted The Huffington Post to clarify that, "Chu has not been contacted about the project".

However, Cinematallica is now reporting that Rupert Wyatt is "virtually a lock" to step into Abrams' shoes, with Collider claiming to have heard similar.

Meanwhile, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will return to write the screenplay, although Damon Lindelof will not be assisting them this time out (via Heat Vision ). A release is tentatively pencilled in for 2016, to coincide with the original show's 50th anniversary.